So what do you think? Is Toronto a better team than it was at the end of last season?

They're a better team so I voted yes, but the quote says "recognizably better". And from the outside looking in the Raptors look pretty much identical to last year. Basically anything written in the summer (or even one day before the season starts) has little accuracy. It's like what happens when you drive a new car off the lot, the value instantly drops off a cliff.

The thing I'm looking for to measure improvement is clutch play. Most will remember that last season we were measurably one of the least clutch teams in the entire league. Through three games this year, we've had two major runs in the last half of the fourth quarter in games against Milwaukee (12-3 run from 5:10 left to 0:25 left) and Boston (11-2 run from 7:40 to 2:30). Even against Atlanta, there was a 9-3 run over 4.5 minutes to make the game close down the stretch. I don't believe the team last year had three late fourth quarter runs in a row. That may prove to be a statistical fluke, or it may set up the the fact that this team, unlike the last few years of Raptors teams, actually has the ability to close out games.

The thing I'm looking for to measure improvement is clutch play. Most will remember that last season we were measurably one of the least clutch teams in the entire league. Through three games this year, we've had two major runs in the last half of the fourth quarter in games against Milwaukee (12-3 run from 5:10 left to 0:25 left) and Boston (11-2 run from 7:40 to 2:30). Even against Atlanta, there was a 9-3 run over 4.5 minutes to make the game close down the stretch. I don't believe the team last year had three late fourth quarter runs in a row. That may prove to be a statistical fluke, or it may set up the the fact that this team, unlike the last few years of Raptors teams, actually has the ability to close out games.

Good observation. With the way we play D we should be in a lot of games to prove your theory right or wrong.

And there's the rub. Was last years winning streak team just winning because the opponents were tanking? They wold have to win this year against teams who still want to win. So far.... so good? You could say Boston is not trying to win but several of the tankers have still pulled out victories so far. The jury is still out.